GM's Journal - January 1894
Wednesday 3rd January, 1894 Arrive back in Southend after the burial of Mrs. MacTannon Thursday 4th January, 1894 A new boy, Jones, is discovered at the school. It appears that he is inquisitive in the extreme, as well as more than a little cheeky. He ingratiates himself with Garvin somewhat. Dr House Rips Muscle Weaving from a Wolfman corpse provided by the lodgemembers. In an attempt to overcome his regenerative abilities, Rig throws himself off the roof of the building, before undergoing surgery. His body absorbs and regenerates the Muscle Weaving that Dr. House implants, but his mind is sorely shaken by both the surgery and his own actions. Garvin swears vengeance on The Man in the Red Sash, whom he sees as responsible for the death of Mrs MacTannon. Friday 5th January, 1894 Rig gets the photographs that Wilkes took developed with Challenger's new technique. The plates show several images of men entering and leaving the Cerberus Club. Many have 'wolf like' ghosts around them. One appears to be Archie. The Man in the Red Sash is also in one of the photographs and seems to be surrounded by a cloud of bats. Showing the photographs to Garvin and the Reverend, he is rebuffed by Garvin, who maintains that the club is empty, but the Reverend believes that the club deserves further investigation. Saturday 6th January, 1894 The Lodge meets to decide the course of action required regarding the Cerberus Club. Jones sneaks up to the door and listens into the meeting for a while before he is noticed. It is decided that, knowing what he knows now, Jones must be brought into the fold of the Rippers. Sunday 7th January, 1894 Late at night the senior members of the lodge, along with some of their more heroic charges, travel to London to investigate the Cerberus Club further. Garvin still maintains that the place is empty and there is no point in being there. The Reverend and Jones head to the servants entrance and Jones picks the lock, letting them into the kitchen. The room is obviously in use, though currently deserted. Leaving some guards outside, the majority of the group make their way through the Club, discovering two doors that only Garvin is able to open - Jones swears that carvings (of a dog with three heads) on one of the doors 'moved'. Meanwhile, Rig uses his ability to turn into mist to infiltrate the upper floors through the chimney. He passes through several bedrooms, killing the men asleep there before he encounters Sir Robert who has entered the building in a more mundane fashion and made his way up through the building. He prevents Rig from killing any more of the servants and is unsure what to do with the man when a cry from lower down in the club attracts their attention. Jones has seen another carving 'move' and is perturbed by what he sees. Garvin wants to leave the place as soon as possible, stating that the police will be likely to be here any time and they should scarper quickly. As Rig and Sir Robert arrive Garvin is persuaded to investigate further, and he opens the door, revealing a staircase, both up and down. Down the stairs is a Crypt, with other doors leading onwards, but curiously Garvin can see nothing more than an empty room. Before any further exploration can occur Wolfmen attack! The Man in the Red Sash appears and Rig turns on his compatriots, Garvin is also struggling to fight against the Wolfmen. Eventually the Wolfmen are defeated, and Archie appears! Garvin throws off the mental attack that is dogging him, but as he does so Red Sash shouts a curse at him and the ring that he wears burns off his finger! Archie learns that Mrs. MacTannon is dead, and Red Sash is fingered as the cause. Red Sash flees with Archie in pursit, but Rig is still attacking his allies! An extended burst of fire from Sir Robert puts Rig down, and a quick sweep on the crypt reveals a well-made violin, which the Reverend attempts to play, causing his companions to dance uncontrollably, a three-foot long rod, carved with images of men at one end and wolves at the other, and a collection of what appear to be research notes regarding Rippertech. Monday 8th January, 1894 Collecting Rig's still-twitching remains in a tablecloth, they flee the scene and return to Southend, where Dr House ensures that Rig's already-regenerating body is kept heavily sedated. Tuesday 9th January, 1894 Carstairs returns, after a long trip to the Holy Land, recovering artefacts for the British Museum in order to create enough leverage that he can secure an expedition to Luxor in Egypt to investigate the map to the tomb of Sosra that he found in Dr. White's belongings. Rig is still sedated, and a discussion about what to 'do' with him occurs. His erratic behaviour, frequent assaults on his friends and now murdering of innocents are all brought up. Belladonna believes that Rig needs to be put down, for the good of the Lodge and society at large, or failing that kept sedated permanently, though she notes that sedation merely postpones the problem and that she is unsure of anyone that might actually be able to kill Rig. Garvin suggests that he be sent to the Rosicrucians. The Reverend does not feel that sending someone who has sold their soul to the devil to the Rosicrucians is a good idea, and agrees with Belladonna that sedation is a viable option. Sir Robert, clearly shaken by what he saw Rig doing to the servants at the Cerberus Club, believes that death, or sedation are the best options. Carstairs shares information about 'The Colt' - noting that if anything can put Rig down, a bullet from his weapon can. It is, reluctantly by most, agreed that Rig has become too much of a danger to be allowed to live, and Carstairs becomes his executioner. Rig is shot in the forehead, and as this occurs a strange yellow flamelike glow spreads all over his body, and smoke rises from the bullet wound in the front of his head. That evening Carstairs breaks the news of Rig's death to Camilla, and Garvin spends time in the local pubs, both drowning his sorrows, as he disagreed with Rig's execution, and spinning a yarn that Rig has had to leave Southend to visit his parents who are having troubled times. Belladonna recieves a telegram from the London Lodge, asking her to attend at her earliest convenience. Upon arrival she discovers that an American Ripper, by the name of Peter Davis, has been incarcerated in an Asylum in Cairo during an investigation into an artefact known as "The Black Ankh of Set". Van Helsing Jr. is willing to provide transport to Cairo, and Hotel rooms, if Belladonna and the others from the Lodge will visit Davis, and if he is truly unable to continue with his investigations, take over for him and find the Ankh themselves. Wednesday 10th January, 1894 Rig is cremated, then buried in the lodge garden near the memorial to Mrs. MacTannon. The rest of the lodge visit Van Helsing. Carstairs suggests that they might be able to look for this Ankh, before proceeding to Luxor and the tomb of Sosra. It also transpires that Davis had contact with Dr. Nathaniel Stewart of the Cairo Museum of Antiquities - whom Carstairs has met, and indeed, has been corresponding with his assistant, Daphne Monroe. They are also asked to take an elderly Chinaman, one Cheng-Lou, under their wing, as Van Helsing believes he may be of use to them. Saturday 13th - Tuesday 30th January, 1894 Travel to Cairo, arriving and meeting with Dr. Stewart and Miss Monroe. They are 'accosted' by a wizened Egyptian woman who tells them "Death Awaits You, Beware the Sign of Life!" Wednesday 31st January, 1894 Visiting the lunatic asylum they discover that Davis is truly beyond help at the current time, however, he does mention a map and that his wife is 'watching over it'. He also mutters something about 'Ibn-Ghaza' knowing what would happen. That afternoon they find the hotel room that Davis was staying in and break in, discovering that it has already been ransacked. There is a picture of Davis wife, and behind it is, indeed a section of a map. Before it can be taken anywhere four men wearing Fez's burst into the room and attack! They are despatched, and the police arrive to take statements, but no charges are pressed. The map fragment is taken to Dr. Stewart for a translation, as Carstairs is spending some time with Daphne. Dr. Stewart takes a tracing of the map, then works on the translation. Later that evening Garvin breaks into Dr. Stewart's office and substitutes the tracing for a 'fake'. As he is sneaking through the streets of Cairo he notices he is being followed by a small boy. Fortunately for Garvin the boy knows a little English and is able to tell him that Ibn-Ghaza wishes to see them at his shop tomorrow night. The boy will wait to guide them there tomorrow evening at dusk.